News and commentary about the intersection of information technology, politics, and policy presented by the members of Digital Politics, a course at Hamilton College.
I don't see the (much) older generation's use of technology as a "turf invasion." As stated in the beginning of the article, it really has opened up a whole new way to keep in touch with people close to you whom you wouldn't necessarily have been able to keep in contact with. The convenience of the internet has allowed me to keep in touch with my grandfather via email. I wouldn't be as confident saying that my parent's use of the internet is not a "turf invasion." Though I wouldn't draw a distinction between the generations too sharply, I would say that my parent's generation still has the capability to navigate the internet to the same degree that students my age do. I suppose I would feel uncomfortable that my parents or a potential employer has the ability to see my facebook profile- but I can't complain too much. In the future, we're going to be that "creepy" generation, because we're brought up in a world where we've learned how to adapt to rapidly changing technology. We'll always be on the same footing as those younger than us because of our skill in adapting. At the same time, I don't feel that people should post things online that could be potentially damaging anyway, especially when it comes to their career. The opportunity cost of putting up embarrassing pictures, for example, is much greater than if you just didn't.
The move facebook made to allow non-students to enter into the site is one that, while we all might not openly admit, made it a different place to be. Instead of just a bunch of kids laughing about the idiotic things so and so did the night before, now a potential employer is left asking you if you ordinarily sleep in closets covered in beer cans(just an example not specific to this poster). I think this invasion on what was started as a site for students has blurred the line, and now it's on the students to censor for the newcomers. Newcomers does not refer to the majority, but rather the minority of facebook non-students who make this idea troubling to many students. I have chosen what to do. Check my privacy settings!
One of the biggest questions, I think, relates to Sanjana's point about us being the "creepy generation" in the future (as well as the example in the article of the tech-savvy mom with the two year old daughter). Young people today see adults on social networking sites as "invaders" because young people used the sites first. Assuming that our Facebook addictions don't disappear after we graduate (and become LinkedIn addicts?), we will still be using sites like Facebook and programs like Instant Messenger when the next generation is old enough to start using them. This new generation would not see us as invaders, but probably would still have some reservations about using a site that their parents use. Is it possible that future teens and young adults will stop using social networking sites like Facebook because their parents already use them? Or will older generations be perpetually out of the loop when it comes to what sites and programs are being used by their children? Could there ever be a social networking site that is "safe" for pictures of and comments about what actually goes on on college campuses?
As the presence of parents and employers on these sites becomes more common, I think that most young adults will continue to feel pressure to present "watered down" versions of themselves on the internet. Although many teens complain about this, perhaps being careful about what you put on the internet isn't such a bad thing. Maybe parents and employers online shouldn't always be seen as the enemy. If their presence prevents someone from posting something that has the potential to hurt him/her later in life, maybe that isn't such a bad thing.
4 comments:
I don't see the (much) older generation's use of technology as a "turf invasion." As stated in the beginning of the article, it really has opened up a whole new way to keep in touch with people close to you whom you wouldn't necessarily have been able to keep in contact with. The convenience of the internet has allowed me to keep in touch with my grandfather via email.
I wouldn't be as confident saying that my parent's use of the internet is not a "turf invasion." Though I wouldn't draw a distinction between the generations too sharply, I would say that my parent's generation still has the capability to navigate the internet to the same degree that students my age do. I suppose I would feel uncomfortable that my parents or a potential employer has the ability to see my facebook profile- but I can't complain too much. In the future, we're going to be that "creepy" generation, because we're brought up in a world where we've learned how to adapt to rapidly changing technology. We'll always be on the same footing as those younger than us because of our skill in adapting.
At the same time, I don't feel that people should post things online that could be potentially damaging anyway, especially when it comes to their career. The opportunity cost of putting up embarrassing pictures, for example, is much greater than if you just didn't.
The move facebook made to allow non-students to enter into the site is one that, while we all might not openly admit, made it a different place to be. Instead of just a bunch of kids laughing about the idiotic things so and so did the night before, now a potential employer is left asking you if you ordinarily sleep in closets covered in beer cans(just an example not specific to this poster). I think this invasion on what was started as a site for students has blurred the line, and now it's on the students to censor for the newcomers. Newcomers does not refer to the majority, but rather the minority of facebook non-students who make this idea troubling to many students. I have chosen what to do. Check my privacy settings!
One of the biggest questions, I think, relates to Sanjana's point about us being the "creepy generation" in the future (as well as the example in the article of the tech-savvy mom with the two year old daughter). Young people today see adults on social networking sites as "invaders" because young people used the sites first. Assuming that our Facebook addictions don't disappear after we graduate (and become LinkedIn addicts?), we will still be using sites like Facebook and programs like Instant Messenger when the next generation is old enough to start using them. This new generation would not see us as invaders, but probably would still have some reservations about using a site that their parents use. Is it possible that future teens and young adults will stop using social networking sites like Facebook because their parents already use them? Or will older generations be perpetually out of the loop when it comes to what sites and programs are being used by their children? Could there ever be a social networking site that is "safe" for pictures of and comments about what actually goes on on college campuses?
As the presence of parents and employers on these sites becomes more common, I think that most young adults will continue to feel pressure to present "watered down" versions of themselves on the internet. Although many teens complain about this, perhaps being careful about what you put on the internet isn't such a bad thing. Maybe parents and employers online shouldn't always be seen as the enemy. If their presence prevents someone from posting something that has the potential to hurt him/her later in life, maybe that isn't such a bad thing.
Post a Comment